Va. officials head to China on trade mission

Gov. Bob McDonnell's secretary of commerce and trade, Jim Cheng, is leading a five-person delegation on a trade mission to China.

The group, on a trip organized by the Southern Governors' Association, meets with Chinese counterparts today and Friday. Cheng will also visit officials in Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan next month; Assistant Secretary of Commerce Peter Su will be in the region until June 22.

In total, 39 representatives from nine states and territories representing the South are on the trip. Virginia's delegation includes Jeremy Stratton, director of Danville's economic development office; Keith Segerson, managing director of the Mason Enterprise Center at the School of Public Policy at George Mason University; and Richmond Dell, executive director at the Advanced Vehicle Research Center in Danville.

The state will pay for Cheng and Su. Cheng's trip will cost $7,500 to $8,000, said Stacey Johnson, McDonnell's spokeswoman. She did not immediately know the cost for Su.

"While Virginia is known as a great place to do business, in these tough economic times we must look for every opportunity to attract and retain job-creating employers,'' McDonnell said. "This includes business development here in Virginia as well as expanding our presence in the global marketplace."

McDonnell is headed to Europe next month for the Farnborough Air Show in London and his first trade mission as governor. Check back for more details.

Are they going to go and get Danville's manufacturing jobs back or something? I'm curious -- why the effort with China? Unless we are trying to outsource more manufacturing, not too sure what the Chinese have to offer. I'd think the money would be better spent on countries with Fortune 500 firms that actually invest in other countries.